Coming Down
by Midnight Spiral
Summary: A new heroine appears, wrapped in mystery and burdened by time gone by...What will her appearance mean for the team? Rogers x OC
1. The Sentinel

**A/N: So, this is me, dabbling in the Avengers universe, and giving Rogers someone to love. I admit to ignorance of the comic universe, but I hope people like this anyway? So…enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or any of its characters or plotlines. **

**-oOOo-**

Clint was, of course, pissed that the one time (okay, not really, but who cares?) he really, really needed an arrow to hit its mark, it buried itself deep in the heart of an enemy. Normally, that would be ideal, but since his objective had been anchoring himself to the building he'd just leapt off, and the dead monster had also fallen, it was not. At all. So. He was fairly certain he was going to die now. Everyone was too far away to come to his aid, if any of them even realized his predicament. _Please, God, just let Tasha get to the device. Let her close the portal._

Suddenly, a strong, slender arm looped around his waist, halting his downward trajectory. "That was getting a tad bit melodramatic, don't you think?" The voice (and the arm, now that he thought on it) was unfamiliar to him, and he started, struggling wildly to escape. The mystery rescuer stilled him, even though he got the impression she was quickly growing bored. "Relax, Clint Barton; I come in peace. More specifically, I come to aid your forces in battle. I will not harm you."

"Who are you?" He was still trying to gain enough leverage to look the girl in the eyes.

"My name is Myrina, but I doubt you know the mythology or particularly care at this moment, so suffice to say that I am very old, very powerful, and your friend Thor knows me as the Sentinel." She set him down on the ground, and he turned, taking her in. The first thing he noticed was her bare feet, which was bizarre. The second was that her gown (for she was wearing a full length gown, that nearly covered those bare feet), was a creamy white, with translucent gold overlays. She was also wearing what he assumed to be ceremonial jewelry, beaded bracelets and anklets, and a necklace with a strange pendant. Her long hair was so light a blonde as to be nearly white, and her eyes were a translucent blue. She was regarding him curiously, but must have guessed his thoughts, for her next words were, "Do not get too attached to this form, Barton. I am fonder of others." And then she was gone.

-oOOo-

"So. You did not call me, Thor Odinson. Why is that?" The Sentinel gazed at him curiously, but he had a creeping feeling that there wasn't quite a right answer to the question.

"You are the watcher of the nine realms, and of places of which I have no knowledge, my lady. Your burden is great, and I did not wish to add to it. In the past, you came when you were needed, not when you were called." He hoped that was close.

She sighed. "What you say is true, though your knowledge of my task is woefully simplistic. Nevermind; we will correct that later. We must turn our thoughts to the task at hand. Tell me…"She paused suddenly and turned to the sea, narrowing her gaze against the sun's glare. She pointed, her slender arm drawing a line in the air. "What is that?"

"Nothing good."

-oOOo-

The place they'd taken her to eat was good, but strange; the food didn't taste as natural as it had when Earth had been her home. Now, back at the tower that had caused so much trouble, the others were carousing or sleeping, and she escaped to the roof to ponder what she now knew for certain. She stood close to the edge and changed herself to her truest form, resembling a light goddess, before turning her eyes to the stars to see what she could see.

Her sight scattered to the far reaches of time and space, she struggled to focus and watch the happenings. But instead of the omnipotence to which she was accustomed, her gaze was locked on Asgard and the lady Sif, who gazed back at her calmly. _So…my time is up. Another must take my place._ Unbidden, tears sprang to her eyes, though her mind was too distant to notice. _The omniverse has already chosen a new guardian. _Suddenly, her diadem felt heavy, even in the spirit form in which she usually observed the omniverse. _How much longer do I have? _

-oOOo-

Rogers had changed into his trademark white crewneck and fatigues, but couldn't sleep. He threw on his leather jacket and wandered the tower, searching for someone to talk to, but quickly found himself lost. Hoping to simply return to his room, he tried to retrace his steps and somehow ended up on the roof, proof of his terrible sense of direction. But someone was already up there.

"Sorry for interrupting, miss. Did you want to be alone?" He found himself reaching to doff an imaginary hat and scowled at himself, but the mysterious "Guardian of the Omniverse" (as Thor had called her) didn't respond, didn't even glance his way. "Miss?"

He came to stand in front of her, and realized with a start that she wasn't really there; her eyes, focused on the stars above, were a million miles away, and as he watched, those crystalline eyes filled with tears that spilled down her porcelain cheeks. "Miss?" He lowered his voice, afraid to touch her, but not wanting to startle her out of her reverie. Her clothes had changed, becoming decidedly unearthly, signaling her borderline divinity. Thor had told them that she was older than his entire world by a large margin, but now, with tears pouring down her face, she looked too young to be on her own, let alone sole guardian of the omniverse. Without thinking, he shrugged out of his jacket, placing it over her bare shoulders. Even as he did it, he knew it was foolish; with her power, it was unlikely that she could feel the chill wind that whistled this high up. But he hoped it would comfort her anyway as he sat down to guard her vulnerable body.

Time slipped by unnoticed as he watched over the girl. She'd stopped crying soon after he sat down, but a few stray tears still slipped down her cheeks every so often.

He was lightly dozing, in the deepest part of the night, when she moved, bringing a slender hand up to her dewy eyes. "Oh." The word escaped her like a sigh, floating away with the breeze. She turned to Rogers, a sad, lonely smile ghosting across her lips as she pulled his jacket tighter around herself. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Sorry?" He was confused; hadn't she been crying?

She turned to the stars, then back to him, her face lighting up with joy. "I just saw…" She shook her head, closing her eyes in wonderment. "Out of all the possible outcomes for this universe, isn't it wonderful that all these worlds, filled with vibrant love and life, came to be?" She opened her eyes and threw her head back to gaze at the stars. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"I guess so, miss." Talking to her, she seemed older, wiser, like a sage caught in the body of a child. "But we've never put it that way. Or stopped to appreciate it."

She nodded, then regarded him with bright eyes. "Who are you? I feel that we must have met, a long time ago by your reckoning."

He stood and offered his hand to her. "Steve Rogers. Or Captain America, if you prefer."

She took his hand, her grip firm despite her delicate appearance. "The Super-soldier. I remember now. I'd come here to stop something-several somethings, actually-when you were reborn." She regarded him curiously. "You haven't changed, Steve Rogers. That is good." She smiled as he kissed her hand. "You are an old soul now, like me."

"How-"

"Shh…" She laid one finger on his lips, his words dying in his throat as she did. "My story is long and hard, as my life has been, and I do not think I will have time to tell it more than once before my time is up." She stepped away, shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it to him. "Get some rest, Steve Rogers; I will share my story with all of you when the sun rises."

And she was gone. Again.

**-oOOo- **

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	2. The Weight of the Past

**A/N: So, the first part of Myrina's story; it ended up being longer than I thought, so I have to break it up a bit. Um…Oh, thank you to those who favorited/added this fic to their alerts. That makes me very happy! Note: Barring the little –oOOo-'s right before and after the A/N's, the ones in bold signal events in the past. Anyway, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or any of its characters or plotlines. **

** -oOOo-**

They met in the penthouse; the Sentinel had repaired it so they could meet in comfort and privacy. From his seat on the step, Rogers did a quick head count; Stark behind the bar, Banner sprawled across the couch, Natasha perched on the arm of the same couch, Thor in an armchair with his feet up on the coffee table, Clint leaning against the outer door. Sgt. Fury and Maria Hill were due to arrive any minute.

He turned his eyes to the girl. She stood in front of the glass wall, facing the dawn. An unfamiliar golden staff was in her hand, catching the light and sending it bouncing around the room, only to return and reflect off the jeweled center and make rainbows against the glass. Her eyes were closed; she didn't acknowledge any of them.

Fury and Maria swept into the room, coming to an abrupt halt directly behind the couch. "Why have you called us here, Sentinel?"

At that, her eyes snapped open, glowing with an eerie, otherworldly light. She tapped her staff, forcefully, on the floor, and a brilliant ray of light shot out, heading straight for the stars. As she turned to face them, her staff dissolved into light, but her eyes remained glowy.

When she spoke, her voice had changed, taking on a royal, commanding tone. "At the beginning…When all things, in all dimensions and times, were forming, a large chunk of energy broke free of creation. But it was never reclaimed; it refused to be sucked into the great mass of creation. Instead, it developed a consciousness and became a universal entity, which manifested itself as the Sentinel, guardian of all that is, or was, or is possible, and of the omniverse. But alone, as it was, without shape or form, it could do little to guard against evil. So the Sentinel entity made a pact with all the sentient beings who loved peace and light, to take over the body and soul of any of them and stand guard over the omniverse in that form. It knew it would have to change form as time wore on, for such power begets greed and jealousy. And so each Sentinel must die." Her eyes and voice changed back to their usual state. "And when they know their time has come, they must share their tale with someone they trust, before passing on their power and fading into oblivion."

"So…You're saying you're going to die? How do you know? Who will replace you?" The questions came from all but Rogers and Barton, who watched the Sentinel carefully.

"I know that my time is done because my sight has narrowed to one being, and one being alone; my replacement. She will be here soon enough." A pair of chairs appeared right behind Fury and Hill, and she nodded for them to sit before summoning her own, an old-fashioned chaise lounge. As she sat, she regarded them regally. "May I start at the beginning?"

**-oOOo- **

"Myrina! Whenever will you name a city after me?" Her sister, Mytilene, teased her mercilessly, as she always did after a successful campaign, when yet another city was named for a general rather than her. The newest was Pitane; but the joke had grown old two years ago, when she had in fact named a city after her sister. The fact that it was uncounted leagues away vexed her sister greatly.

"Two years ago, I named my second victory in these lands for you, beloved sister. I know it has been too long since you have seen your fair city; but do not fear, for we have only to defeat Mopsus and Sipylus, now. Then we shall return home."

-O-

"Mytilene! Pitane! Cyme! Priene!" Staring at the bloodbath around her, Myrina felt fear for what was probably the first time in her life. She was going to die here. But where was her sister? "Mytilene!"

"Your sister is dead, Amazon Queen." Mopsus loomed above her, a cruel leer on his face. "Who will rule, if you die today?"

She spat at him, her bloody spittle hitting him square in the mouth. "Princess Mytilene was not my heir, you cowardly bastard." She lunged to strike, but was disarmed by one of his guards.

As his guards came toward her with chains, he waved a hand in her direction. "Tie her up and put her in my tent. We'll see if what the poets say of the Amazon women is true."

Drawing herself up to her full height of 5'8", she presented her wrists as if for binding. It took all she had not to smirk as the fool guards fell for it, believing that she, like all their women, was born to be subjugated by men. As the first cold metal kissed her wrists, she grabbed the chain and threw it, hard, at the man carrying it. He fell, and she relieved him of his blade, quickly cutting down the surprised guardsmen. She turned to kill Mopsus, but he was prepared, shoving his blade through her chest. "Just not your day, is it, Warrior Queen?"

With the last of her strength, she drove her stolen blade up under his ribcage, burying it deep in his black heart. As he toppled to the ground she spat disdainfully. "If it is not mine, neither is it yours, Thracian scum." And then her world went dark.

-oOOo-

"My tomb-empty, obviously-is mentioned in the _Iliad_, and somehow, Mopsus survived. I was annoyed, but did nothing; I was learning to control the urge to use my new powers for petty revenge. He went on to join the Argonauts, though he died as they fled the sisters of Medusa." She shrugged, obviously pleased with how things had turned out. "My sister, and the rest of my army, was destroyed, though my people lived on for some time after."

"…You're telling us that you predate Christ?" Bruce was sitting up now, having become entranced by her story.

"By a few hundred years, at least. But by the time he was born, I was fighting a battle against another cosmic entity, this one bent on destruction, in another dimension." She shrugged again, this time helplessly. "By the time I was able to focus my attention on the omniverse as a whole, he had gone."

"What were you fighting?"

**-oOOo-**

The dark version of Atum, for whom she had no name, smirked at her. She swallowed, fighting down nausea; she could see him through the omniverse, and knew that in his truest form, he was a force for good. But here…_Can he consume me as well? _She wished she wasn't alone; she was used to having an army, or at least her sister and generals, at her side, to cheer her indecisive heart with their bravado. Granted, she was pleased to find that she was not the only cosmic entity in the omniverse; she recognized that, like her, they existed for a sole purpose, which was sometimes at odds with her own. _I must defeat him!_ Her counterpart, The Living Tribunal, had no doubt noticed the lack of balance in this dimension, and she had no doubts that it would go much too far to restore the balance. _Although to be fair, he's more master than counterpart. And I have no idea where the lunatic who opposes me is…_

She shifted into battle form, loving the weight of the plate armor as it settled on her skin. Her sword, a double bladed affair, materialized in her hands and she flashed forward. Between one breath and the next, the thing responded, growing into a dark mass that tried to consume her. She shrieked a challenge, her sword glowing as she sliced through the center of the being. As the shadowy substance from which it was made consumed itself, she sighed and turned to the new presence behind her. "Do you have something to say?"

The Living Tribunal stared her down with its face of Equity. "You are drawn to believe in the good of all, Sentinel. But there does not exist good in everything."

"I preserve good where I find it. Is that wrong?" Some part of her that remembered being human was still enjoying a high from having killed an enemy, and was urging her to engage this new entity in battle. She ignored it. "I cannot ignore my reason for being."

"That is as it should be; it is why you were torn free of creation, to serve the forces of good." It cocked it head at her. "Have you met the Deceiver?"

She reverted back to her normal form, her sword and armor disappearing in a burst of light. "No. Should I have?"

"Not yet. But it will seek you out soon enough." Its heads spun, Vengeance flashing past until Necessity stared back at her. "Of all the cosmic entities, the two of you are the only ones to actively oppose one another. And both of you are new to your forms; your previous manifestations destroyed each other."

"And is that to be our fate, this time around?" She turned away, staring across space and time. "Are you here to destroy me, to prevent such an occurrence?"

"…No. At least," Equity stared back at her once more, "not yet. I sense that will you be a force for much good for a while yet, before you battle the Deceiver. Until then…" It disappeared, leaving her quite alone. "…I will let you live."

-oOOo-

"Wait a minute. You have a boss?" Tony sounded incredulous. "I pegged you for the type that doesn't follow orders well."

"The Living Tribunal is not my 'boss'; he's a superior entity with a purpose similar to my own. However, while my mission is to protect all that is good, the Living Tribunal seeks only to maintain balance, at the cost of both good and evil." She idly picked at the fringe of her pillow, frowning as some strings came away at her touch. "To him, the perfect omniverse is one where good and evil are locked in an impasse; the Deceiver and I try to tip the scales in the both directions."

Fury leaned forward. "This…Deceiver? Is it a threat to Earth?"

"I…have only met the Deceiver in this world once. It was the first time I returned to this Earth for any length of time; she'd unleashed a plague that took the lives of millions before I intervened."

**-oOOo- **

Myrina picked her way through the rubble of a European town, invisible to any life that remained there. _This is terrible…_ Bodies lay alongside mass graves, left to rot when the people who were supposed to inter them fell ill and died. Those left alive scurried through the streets, starving and filthy, some with the telltale marks of plague already appearing on their bodies. She knew that much of the western area of 'Europe,' as they were calling it now, was in as much trouble as this place. _Who would do such a thing?_

Power pulsed just outside the town, and she followed it, sending out a tendril of her own power to meet it. She found the source in a fallow field near the forest; a woman, dressed in black scraps of cloth that did less to hide her voluptuous body than her shining black hair. As Myrina approached, the woman smirked, rising from where she'd been seated on the ground.

Myrina halted a safe distance away, wary of this new being. "Who are you?"

"You've already guessed it, Sentinel. Who else would cause so much destruction for so little gain?" The woman spread her arms wide and laughed. "I am the Deceiver, of course. My name is Akujil; I hail from this planet as it exists elsewhere in the omniverse, where the dead walk and the living are their prey." She twirled, and as her hair flew out around her, Myrina saw that her back was all skeletal, offering a glimpse of rotten internal organs.

Myrina felt ill. "That disgusting dimension…How typical of the Deceiver, to claim such a…repulsive place as their own." She inclined her head slightly, in the regal manner reminiscent of her years as queen. "But I suppose I must tell you my name, in return for your openness. I am the Sentinel; Myrina I was called, many years ago, on this very same Earth, when I was Queen of the Amazons."

"And yet, how little you know, having traveled so far." Akujil's tone was mocking. "Did you think speaking with the Living Tribunal would give you an edge? He exists to bring balance; why ever would he help one or the other of us?"

"I knew he would not help me; I thought he would destroy us both. I was willing to make that sacrifice." Myrina laughed now, cruelly for all her goodness. "But I do have one thing over you, Akujil; something only the living possess." From her sleeve, she produced a knife. "With my blood, I can stop what you have done here, and place wards on any world I want kept free of you." She slashed her hand, raising her eyes to meet Akujil's dark gaze in triumph. "You will never come here again, so long as I am the Sentinel!"

"You little bitch..!" The Deceiver snarled as light chains descended from the heavens, wrapping around her entire body and dragging her away, out into space. Myrina watched her go, absentmindedly summoning her sword, which transformed into a staff as she raised it. "Virtus…sigillum." _Latin? After all this time? Very well._ It wasn't the language she would have chosen for such a seal, but she didn't have much choice; the seal announced itself in Latin, so in Latin it must be spoken. _At least, on this world. _

The drain on her power was minimal; she easily set things on a path with a better ending. With that done, she was gone; the war between Asgard and Jotunheim had reached a critical point, and she needed to intervene.

-oOOo-

"So…you sent the Deceiver away from this place? And she's never returned?" Sgt. Hill sounded incredulous, to say the least. "That actually worked?"

"So far. I banished her with a blood seal, so as long as I'm alive, she can't come here." She met everyone's eyes honestly. "That will likely change when I'm gone. You will need to be on your guard."

Thor raised two fingers. "My lady? You said you became involved in the end of my people's war against the frost giants?"

She nodded, though her eyes became distant. "I did. Though much that I thought would lead to good, such as encouraging Odin's adoption of Laufrey's child of which he was ashamed, has led to evil instead." She held up a slender hand as their questions threatened to overwhelm her. "It is easier if I explain, without interruption."

**-oOOo-**

**A/N: So, it ended up being a little longer! Yay! I tried incorporating some of the characters and story from the comic books, but if I messed something up, please let me know so I can fix it. I'll be leaving town Friday, but my laptop's coming with, so I'll try to update soon! **

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	3. To Err With Good Intentions

**A/N: So, more on Myrina's involvement in Asgard…Sorry that took a while…If it seems like things are going slow, they should start picking up next chapter or so. In fact, I think this will be the last chapter of her flashbacks… Please enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or any of its characters or plotlines. **

**-oOOo- **

Myrina shivered as she picked her way over the frozen landscape. This war had caused so much suffering…_But it's almost over now_. Soon, the Asgardians would triumph, but if something wasn't done, the fragile peace would not last. As the Sentinel, whatever must be done would fall to her. She suspected that the Frost Giants would stay here in the darkness for many years following their defeat, but the Asgardians…_When peace lasts so long, with only the stories of their elders to hint at glory, the young, hot-blooded warriors will go looking for fights…But there must be a way to bind these two nations together…_The cries of a child reached her ears, and she quickened, following the sound deep into the stronghold of the giants. There, in a secret chamber, she found the source; a child, small by Frost Giant standards, lay swaddled in blankets, crying and kicking out in loneliness. "Hello, little one…" _Perhaps…_

She remained in the chamber, watching over the child, until the battles were done and Odin, the new king of Asgard, reached the chamber. As he lifted the _child_ from its blankets, she knew his mind to be focused on the curse of his father, and how he might avoid it by killing this child. Gently, she insinuated her plan into his mind, making the great Asgardian see a future in which his heir ruled Asgard, and this child, whom he would raise with love, ruled Jodenheim, the two kingdoms made strong by the love between them._ You could be the King to bring peace to these worlds, Odin…If you would but seize this chance!_

And so it was that the infant Loki came to Asgard, though not all was as Myrina would have it…

-oOOo-

"I never intended for your father to keep Loki's bloodlines a secret-it was something I did not foresee, and by the time I was aware of it, there was little I could do in this universe. In others, however, I was able to intervene, and Loki did not become an evil god, bent on power and destruction. All he ever wanted," Here, she glanced at Thor, as though begging him to understand, "Was to be your equal. To rule over his people, with love and care, as you do." She glanced down into her lap, composing herself. "It was my failure to watch closely that made your brother what he is. I am sorry."

Thor nodded, eyes on the ground, his huge hands clasped in front of him. "But you say that there is good in him?"

"There is potential for good in all evil; but my sight grows dim, and I know not how to awaken that good in your brother. I am sorry."

"But there is yet hope?"

"…Yes."

"Then you have not erred so fatally as you believe. There is nothing to forgive, Myrina." He smiled at her reassuringly, and she was reminded of his tendency to smash dishes in appreciation of meals. _How odd…My focus is not what it was._ She shook her head to clear it, and continued with her tale.

**-oOOo- **

The Sentinel before her had avoided the Deceiver's home world, but Myrina had no such qualms about the place. She strode quickly over the land, searching for any living people, who she hoped to empower to rise against the dead, to take back their world. So far, the results were not promising; most of the people she'd found traveled singly or in pairs, terrified and suspicious of any who approached them. _There must be a way to unite them…_She stopped at the highest point of a flat plain and let her power flow out around her, drawing the fifty or so scattered humans to her._ So few…_She had time; she could do this all over the world, marking each group as her own so they would recognize each other.

When they came to her, she spoke to them gently, entreating them to fight to take back the Earth, making herself out to be the beleaguered spirit of the planet. They accepted her aid, allowing her to place the small marks on their foreheads that would identify them as soldiers of her will, and of light. This same process she repeated several times, across the entire world, before retiring to a high place to watch her work unfold. For a while, it appeared that her warriors, the last of the living left on this planet, would prevail. But a shadow came, strengthening the dead and turning the tide. Akujil was abroad, and even though Myrina knew that it was folly to confront her here, she did, and they waged savage war across the world, destroying whatever evidence of civilization had remained from before the dead had risen, and plunging the world into despair. And while they waged their war, the living and the dead continued to fight each other, wreaking their own havoc.

But in the end, Myrina was forced to surrender; all her warriors had succumbed to the dead, and there was nothing left for her to save. As Akujil drove her away, a thought occurred to Myrina, and she halted. Turning, she shot past Akujil, landing with a small splash in the middle of an ocean. She rose from the water, glowing with triumph, her staff in hand. With an inhuman roar, she thrust the staff, glowing like the sun, into the air. The light grew in intensity until even she had to shut her eyes, and then the light exploded out, covering the Earth in a cocoon of light. The cocoon pulsed once, twice, three times, then dissipated, and Myrina shot into the sky to survey her handiwork. The spell had been a reversal; where before only the dead had roamed, groaning in pain and hunger, the living now prospered, all their civilized trappings returned to them with their lives. She laughed gleefully as Akujil screamed in rage; it was notoriously difficult to reverse a reversal spell. With her work done, Myrina left the planet of her own free will.

-oOOo-

"You got the better of your counterpart again?" Fury leaned forward, his visible eye bright.

"Yes…Though the price was high. My power was exhausted for a time." She smiled ruefully. "And of course, the battles never stop. I was drawn to interfere here again shortly after, though my powers were woefully inadequate for the trial I faced; it has taken until fairly recently for me to dispatch the enemy that rose against me." She turned to Steve, her expression apologetic. "My next trial is closely linked, in origin at least, to your abilities."

"How?"

"A future I had foreseen, involving a hero made from combining a high-powered version of the serum which created you, and possession by a cosmic entity. He was too powerful, and would cause much destruction; I meant to stop it, however I could…"

**-oOOo- **

Myrina gazed down at the soldiers training for the experiment. _This experiment will end well, but I cannot allow it. Better they be visited by failure than pave the way for the Sentry…_Shouts broke out below, and she refocused on the soldiers below, watching as the smallest of the lot jumped on a grenade without the slightest hesitation. As he screamed for the others to get away, her heart warmed to him: he was a good man, brave and strong on the inside, where it really counted. Unfocusing her eyes, she gazed into his future, all the possibilities spreading out before her like a map. _This boy…_He would be chosen for the experiment, and the serum would augment both his body and his decency. He would be a force for good…_I knew that when I came here! I cannot be swayed just because the boy appeals to me!_ With a snort, she jumped down from her perch, stalking across the camp to the boy. Invisible, she stood before him, gazing into his heart.

The willingness, no, the desire to serve however he could, shocked her, and she took a step back. "You…are just like me." She nodded, absently, then with more conviction. _Very well. _"Someone will need to watch over this world when I cannot. I charge you with this task; may you uphold it to the best of your ability."

She left then, to confront the beast she had not nipped in the bud.

-oOOo-

In the outer reaches of space, she stood before the Sentry, watching impassively as he gave himself over to his Void form. She curled her lip at its hideous countenance, summoning the sword and armor that she hadn't bothered with when battling the Sentry. "How disgusting. You really are…a monster. I must destroy you now."

It screamed at her, and she screamed back, just to throw it off before charging forward, aiming to finish it in one blow. It dodged and twisted out of reach, coming down on top of her, its powerful hands reaching for her delicate neck. She was slow in dodging, and it caught her, wrenching her neck to the side with a sharp Crack! As she fell, it bellowed in triumph, pumping its fists in the air.

"A little early for that, don't you think?" She stood, her neck twisted to an impossible angle, then shrugged, her neck realigning itself with sickening crunching noises. "Don't forget; I am stronger than you. I just have this terrible old habit of toying with my enemies. Hardly becoming of a force for good, but there is little enough I can do about it."

It shrieked, rushing at her once more, though this time she neatly sidestepped. "I'm bored of you now. Just die." She outmaneuvered it nicely, driving her sword up into its unprotected chest. With a grunt, she twisted the blade, smirking as the energy which allowed the monster to regenerate indefinitely was drained into her. When that was done, she grabbed the body by its collar and tossed it into a nearby sun. "Now, how does the rest of the omniverse fare?"

-oOOo-

"It was then that I became aware of your predicament here, and I rushed back to assist you. And here we are." She shrugged.

Steve gazed at her, a mixture of confusion and quite a few other emotions warring across his rugged features. "You tried to prevent the experiment that made me…Why did you change your mind?"

Myrina looked at him, confused herself. "I told you; I looked into your heart and liked what I saw. I charged you with guarding this world, and let what happened happen."

"But you had to fight an unnecessary battle."

"No. Not unnecessary. I simply moved the battle up in the grand scheme of things. He needed to die sooner than the timeline had provided for, so I traveled to his time, abducted him, and destroyed him. The end." She glared at him. "That's really all there was to it."

Clint interrupted, for the first time. "Now what?"

Myrina stood, stepping to the window as her couch disappeared. "The Bifrost is open. My successor is almost here." She turned back to them. "Thor, please make the Lady Sif comfortable; I have one more task, which must be completed before morning." They looked shocked at this, then realized that it was indeed quite late. "Preparations for the ceremony will be completed by tomorrow night, and the ceremony itself will take place at dawn the following day. For now, I bid thee farewell." And she was gone.

**-oOOo- **

**A/N: So there you go; the last of the flashbacks! I don't know if I'm going to put the task here, because it crosses over with another fandom…We'll see. I will try to update soon, but I have band camp and school coming up…**

**Love it? Hate it? Want more? Let me know! **


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